Thumb or finger attachment for use with portable hand held devices

ABSTRACT

A thumb or finger attachment which can provide for easier typing on keyboards of portable hand held devices. The thumb or finger attachment has a body portion, which consists of an integrally connected bottom portion and arcuate portion formed above the bottom portion. The arcuate portion is configured to extend at least partially around the thumb or finger of a wearer when coupled thereto so as to substantially enclose the thumb or finger of the wearer within the arcuate portion. The bottom portion extends generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the thumb or finger and terminates in a substantially narrow end for engaging the keyboard of a handheld portable device.

This invention relates generally to a thumb or finger attachment, and,more particularly, to a thumb or finger attachment for people with largethumbs or fingers to use which can provide for easier typing on theirkeyboards, such as on a RIM Blackberry™ or similar type of portable handheld devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Portable hand held devices, which generally have smaller keyboardspositioned thereon, are extremely popular and heavily utilized items intoday's society. However, one persistent problem in utilizing such adevice having a smaller keyboard or other keys positioned thereon isthat it can be difficult to select the desired keys withoutinadvertently selecting another undesired key, particularly when theuser of the device possesses large thumbs or fingers.

Thus, there is a need for an improved thumb or finger attachment forproviding easier typing for people with large thumbs on a keyboard ofportable hand held devices, and which is simple, easy to manufacture,and which is semi-adjustable. In this regard, the present inventionsubstantially fulfills this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved thumb orfinger attachment for providing easier typing on a keyboard of portablehand held devices.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improvedthumb or finger attachment for providing easier typing for people withlarge thumbs on a keyboard of portable hand held devices, and which issimple, easy to manufacture, and which is semi-adjustable.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided athumb or finger attachment comprising thumb engaging means for couplingsaid thumb attachment to a distal portion of a thumb or finger of auser, the thumb engaging means comprising a bottom portion and anarcuate portion having a substantially frusto-conical cross-sectionformed above the bottom portion, the arcuate portion substantiallyencircling the distal portion of the thumb or the finger of the userwhen coupled thereto, and wherein the bottom portion extends generallyperpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the thumb or the finger andterminates in a substantially narrow end for engaging a handheldportable device, and wherein the thumb or finger attachment is made of aflexible material which can be deformed by the user so as to modify ashape of the bottom portion and the arcuate portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda thumb or finger attachment for providing easier typing on a keyboardof portable hand held devices, the thumb or finger attachment comprisinga body portion comprising a bottom portion and an arcuate portion formedabove the bottom portion, wherein the arcuate portion is configured toextend at least partially around the thumb or finger of a wearer whencoupled thereto so as to substantially enclose the thumb or the fingerof the wearer within the arcuate portion, and wherein the bottom portionextends generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the thumb orthe finger and terminates in a substantially narrow end for engaging ahandheld portable device, and wherein the thumb or finger attachment ismade of a flexible material which can be deformed by the user so as tomodify a shape of the bottom portion and the arcuate portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda thumb or finger attachment for providing easier typing on a keyboardof portable hand held devices, the thumb or finger attachment comprisinga body portion of flexible material comprising a bottom portion and anarcuate portion having a substantially frusto-conical cross-sectionformed above the bottom portion, wherein the arcuate portion isconfigured to extend at least partially around a thumb or a finger of awearer when coupled thereto so as to substantially enclose the thumb orthe finger of the wearer within the arcuate portion, and wherein thebottom portion extends generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal axisof the thumb or the finger and terminates in a substantially narrow endfor engaging a handheld portable device, and wherein the thumb or fingerattachment is made of a flexible material which can be deformed by theuser so as to modify a shape of the bottom portion and the arcuateportion.

The advantage of the present invention is that it provides an improvedthumb or finger attachment for providing easier typing on a keyboard ofportable hand held devices.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide an improvedthumb or finger attachment for providing easier typing for people withlarge thumbs on a keyboard of portable hand held devices, and which issimple, easy to manufacture, and which is semi-adjustable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the thumb or finger attachment ofthe present invention positioned on the thumb of a user; and

FIG. 2 is a top view of the thumb or finger attachment of the presentinvention shown positioned on the thumb of a user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the presentinvention essentially comprises a thumb or finger attachment which canprovide for easier typing on keyboards or keys of portable hand helddevices, such as on a RIM Blackberry™ or similar type. The thumb orfinger attachment has a body portion comprises a body portion 1 having abottom portion 5 and an arcuate portion 7 integrally formed above thebottom portion 5, wherein the arcuate portion 7 is configured to extendat least partially around the thumb or finger 3 of a wearer when coupledthereto so as to substantially enclose the thumb or the finger of thewearer within the arcuate portion. With reference to FIG. 1, it can beseen that the bottom portion extends generally perpendicularly to alongitudinal axis of the thumb or the finger and terminates in asubstantially narrow end for engaging a handheld portable device.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the thumb or fingerattachment of the present invention can be made from a moldable clay,that is baked in the oven. Once baked, it has the consistency of a firmpencil eraser, and, in this way, is still flexible, but at the sametime, provides grip for contacting the keys of the handheld portabledevice. In this maimer, be being flexible, the thumb or fingerattachment of the present invention can be deformed slightly, so as tobe semi-adjustable, or whereby, for example, the wearer can modify ashape of the bottom portion 5 and the arcuate portion 7. As a furtherexample of this, a wearer might desire to deform the outmost end of thebottom portion 5 of the thumb or finger attachment so as to provide fora narrower surface for contacting the keys of the handheld portabledevice.

Of course, it will also be understood that the thumb or fingerattachment of the present invention can be made from plastic, or othersuitable thermoplastic compositions. Preferably, the thumb or fingerattachment of the present invention will be a one-piece design, thoughit will be readily understood that variations to this are conceivable.

With reference to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the arcuate portion 7provides for a partial ring, configured to extend at least partiallyaround a thumb or a finger of a wearer when coupled thereto so as tosubstantially enclose the end of a thumb (or finger) of the wearerwithin the arcuate portion.

The present invention has been described herein with regard to preferredembodiments. However, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the artthat a number of variations and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as described herein.

1. A thumb or finger attachment comprising: thumb engaging means forcoupling said thumb attachment to a distal portion of a thumb or fingerof a user, the thumb engaging means comprising a bottom portion and anarcuate portion having a substantially frusto-conical cross-sectionformed above the bottom portion, the arcuate portion substantiallyencircling the distal portion of the thumb or the finger of the userwhen coupled thereto, and wherein the bottom portion extends generallyperpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the thumb or the finger andterminates in a substantially narrow end for engaging a handheldportable device, and wherein the thumb or finger attachment is made of aflexible material which can be deformed by the user so as to modify ashape of the bottom portion and the arcuate portion.
 2. A thumb orfinger attachment for providing easier typing on a keyboard of portablehand held devices, the thumb or finger attachment comprising: a bodyportion comprising a bottom portion and an arcuate portion formed abovethe bottom portion, wherein the arcuate portion is configured to extendat least partially around the thumb or finger of a wearer when coupledthereto so as to substantially enclose the thumb or the finger of thewearer within the arcuate portion, and wherein the bottom portionextends generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the thumb orthe finger and terminates in a substantially narrow end for engaging ahandheld portable device, and wherein the thumb or finger attachment ismade of a flexible material which can be deformed by the user so as tomodify a shape of the bottom portion and the arcuate portion.
 3. A thumbor finger attachment for providing easier typing on a keyboard ofportable hand held devices, the thumb or finger attachment comprising: abody portion of flexible material comprising a bottom portion and anarcuate portion having a substantially frusto-conical cross-sectionformed above the bottom portion, wherein the arcuate portion isconfigured to extend at least partially around a thumb or a finger of awearer when coupled thereto so as to substantially enclose the thumb orthe finger of the wearer within the arcuate portion, and wherein thebottom portion extends generally perpendicularly to a longitudinal axisof the thumb or the finger and terminates in a substantially narrow endfor engaging a handheld portable device, and wherein the thumb or fingerattachment is made of a flexible material which can be deformed by theuser so as to modify a shape of the bottom portion and the arcuateportion.
 4. The thumb or finger attachment of claim 1, wherein the thumbor finger attachment is made of a thermoplastic composition.
 5. Thethumb or finger attachment of claim 1, wherein the thumb or fingerattachment is made of a moldable clay which is baked.
 6. The thumb orfinger attachment of claim 1, wherein the thumb or finger attachment ismade of plastic.
 7. The thumb or finger attachment of claim 1, whereinthe thumb or finger attachment is semi-adjustable.
 8. The thumb orfinger attachment of claim 1, wherein the narrow end of the bottomportion engages a keyboard of the handheld portable device.
 9. The thumbor finger attachment of claim 1, wherein the thumb or finger attachmentis of a one-piece, unitary construction.